Cambodia has dismissed Thailand’s recent assertions over portions of their shared border, accusing Thai military forces of breaching bilateral agreements and operating within Cambodian land. The Cambodian Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation issued a statement on June 27, alleging that Thai troops have been active near Border Marker No. 26 in the Banteay Ampil district of Oddar Meanchey province. This activity has reignited diplomatic tensions between the two neighboring nations.
According to the Cambodian government, since early June, Thai soldiers have been engaged in clearing forested areas and setting up barbed wire, actions Phnom Penh interprets as an attempt by Thailand to extend its territorial claims into Cambodian land. Cambodia insists it does not acknowledge the border line claimed by Thailand, emphasizing that the disputed area should remain under the joint border demarcation efforts previously agreed upon by both countries.
Cambodia contends that Thailand’s recent actions breach Article 5 of the 2000 Memorandum of Understanding, which governs land border surveys and demarcation. These actions also contradict the commitments made during the Third Extraordinary Meeting of the General Border Committee in December 2025, which advocates for resolving border issues through established bilateral mechanisms. Cambodian authorities have urged Thailand to cease what they view as unilateral actions and to follow the agreed procedures for peacefully resolving disputes.
Cambodian government spokesperson Pen Bona noted that since July 2025, Cambodia has lodged 42 diplomatic protests regarding alleged border encroachments. In addition, Phnom Penh has sent nine diplomatic notes requesting meetings of the Joint Boundary Commission and the deployment of Joint Survey Teams to carry on with the technical work required on the ground. These measures, Cambodian officials state, aim to ease tensions and promote the formal demarcation process through dialogue rather than one-sided actions.
Phnom Penh maintains that the border should be delineated using the 1:200,000-scale maps created under the 1904 Franco-Siamese Convention and the 1907 Franco-Siamese Treaty. In contrast, Cambodia has criticized Thailand for using 1:50,000-scale maps, which Cambodia claims were produced unilaterally and do not align with mutually recognized agreements. As of now, Thai authorities have yet to publicly address Cambodia’s recent statement, leaving the border dispute unresolved.